NEWS and EVENTS

 
 

TUESDAY NOON BIBLE STUDY
in the Guild Parlor

Contact: Gates Elliott, gelliott@stjjax.org.

We are on summer break until July 15, when we will continue the study of the Gospel of Luke, with chapters 7 and 8,

 
 

2025 Habitat Drawdown and Faith Build

SAVE THE DATE! Friday, Aug 15 at 6 pm.

 Volunteers are needed! The Drawdown Habitat Planning Committee needs volunteers to help with food, silent auction, sponsors/ticket sales, and decor.

Contact Randy Boyles at 601-573-9586 or msbeta898@gmail.com;

Or Maura Jelliffe at 601-594-1860 or mjell2014@gmail.com.

HABITAT FAITH BUILD 2025:

The Episcopal Day for the Habitat Faith Build is Saturday, June 21. Sign up to help HERE.

 
 

ST. JAMES’ SCHOOL SEEKS TEACHERS AND ASSISTANTS

St. James' School is embracing a Montessori-inspired approach and is seeking kind, compassionate teachers and assistants to help us grow. If you love children, learning, nature, and the wonder of childhood, we’d love to hear from you. Montessori training is appreciated but not required - just a willingness to learn, a gentle presence, and a joyful heart. Ideal candidates are curious, nurturing, and drawn to the quiet beauty of the garden and the classroom. Come help us create a peaceful, purposeful place for children to thrive.  To apply, please email Kathryn Briscoe at kbriscoe@stjjax.org - and feel free to share this with anyone who might be a great fit!

 

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Quick and Easy! Additional greeters are needed to welcome parishioners and visitors to the 8:40am or 11:05am Sunday services!
Arrive 15 minutes prior to the service to greet our Sunday worshippers! It’s also an opportunity for guests to receive information about our programs for children and adults;
or socialize over coffee and donuts.
The scheduling process is very easy and all need to introduce ourselves to visitors after the service!
If you are interested in helping or learning more about our newcomer program contact Catherine Hames: 601-594-1867 or catherinehames4@gmail.com.

 

DAVID PRICHARD CONTEMPLATIVE OFFERINGS

SILENT CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER: Wednesdays, 7:45 - 8:30 am, St. Francis Chapel in Gray Hall next to the Moyer Room. All forms of silent prayer/meditation welcome, though Centering Prayer instruction—the Christian prayer practice of opening one’s “mind and heart, our whole being to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions”—will be offered with discussion at 7:45 a.m. prior to the group sit at 8:00. Contact David Prichard to learn more at 601-503-7810.

CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: “The ministry of spiritual direction can be understood as the meeting of two or more people whose desire is to prayerfully listen for the movements of the Holy Spirit in all areas of a person’s life (not just in their formal prayer life). It is a three-way relationship:  among the true director who is the Holy Spirit (which in Christian tradition is the Spirit of Christ present in and among us), and the human director (who listens for the directions of the Spirit with the directee), and the directee.” — Tilden Edwards. Contact David Prichard to learn more or set up an exploratory session at 601-503-7810.

About David Prichard: David’s grounding in contemplative practice and instruction is the result of nearly 15 years as a student in the meditative tradition of Shambhala Buddhism, a time of deep retreats, with half a year in solitary retreat, over a year in group retreats, and thousands of hours of daily practice. As a Meditation Instructor, he met with students to aid them in their retreats and to help establish meaningful daily practices. His return to Mississippi and the Church spurred him to seek the mystical equivalents within the Christian tradition. Inspired now by the practices of ‘attention of the heart’ in the Eastern church, and those of Centering Prayer in the West, he is also training with the Shalem Institute to help make contemplative prayer and spiritual direction more widely available.

 

DIOCESE OF MISSISSIPPI COMMUNICATION UPDATES

Bishop Wells is working to enhance communication with all members of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi.
To facilitate this, she is requesting email addresses, which will allow for direct email delivery of important updates, including:

·         Messages from the Bishop

·         The Mississippi Episcopalian 

·         TME-News

Parishioners can easily subscribe themselves by visiting this link:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/aBQf1mM/diomscomm  

Please be assured that the Diocese of Mississippi is committed to protecting this information.
It will not be shared with any third parties, and parishioners will have the option to unsubscribe at any time.

 

SUNDAY MORNING NURSERY SERVES CHILDREN THROUGH THEIR KINDERGARTEN YEAR

Parents and grandparents, our church nursery is open for babies through children in their kindergarten year offering parents a quiet moment of adult prayer and church time and offering children an opportunity for community and play with church friends. After the lIturgy of the Word, the nursery staff and acolytes will bring PreK-3 children through kindergarten age children into the church to join their parents for the Eucharist. Parents are asked to stand to greet their children. Parents of babies, toddlers and twos are invited to step out of the service at the Peace to bring their younger nursery children into the church for Eucharist. And as always at St. James', children of all ages are welcome for the entire service. For more info about the nursery, contact Mary Nell Prichard, mnprichard@stjjax.org,
or Kathryn Briscoe, kbriscoe@stjjax.org. 

ADULT FORMATION
Sunday Mornings at 9:50 to 10:50 am
(Summer Sunday Mornings June 8 through August 10, 9:00 am)

We have three Adult Formation Offerings:

  • Holy Conversations Lectionary Class gathers in the Parish Library.

  • Explorations gathers in Oak Ridge Hall. (Will not meet regularly during the summer)

  • Life with the Sacred Text, a small group reflection on various topics and their relevance as relates to Scripture and daily life, gathers in the Guild Parlor, just off Fowler Hall.

All adult offerings are open and inclusive of adults of any age or interest, no experience required.
Grab coffee and donuts in Fowler Hall and join one of our Adult formation offerings SUNDAYS at 10:00am.

REGULAR WEEKDAY OFFERINGS

MONDAYS, 2pm – Twisted Stitchers, Guild Parlor

TUESDAYS, 7am - Holy Eucharist, Church

Noon - Bible Study, Guild Parlor

WEDNESDAYS, Noon - Trellis Book Group, Library

5:00 - 7:00 pm - Wednesday Night Supper , Fowler Hall

THURSDAYS, 7am - Men's Bible Study, Guild Parlor

ST. JAMES’ SCHOOL REGISTRATION FOR 2025-2026

School information and registration application can be found on the St. James’ School page, or you may contact
Kathryn Briscoe -- kbriscoe@stjjax.org or the school office at 601-941-4296.


ST JAMES’ SCHOOL IS EXPANDING!

The St. James’ School is excited to be expanding and offering an infant classroom in the near future! We will be able to accommodate five babies, ages eight weeks to nine months of age. Our hours of operation for the infant room will be the same as for our other classrooms - 8:15 am until 12:00 pm, with an option for extended day until 2:00 pm. Register on our St. James’ School page for the spring and the fall!  If anyone has questions or wants to register, please do not hesitate to reach out. contact Kathryn Briscoe at kbriscoe@stjjax.org or call at (256)565-4089. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

ST. JAMES’ CHOIR

We are always happy to welcome new singers into the St. James’ choir family!
Members of the St. James’ choir support the 8:40 and 11:05 worship services and other sung liturgies throughout the year, including Evensong and our annual service of Lessons and Carols.
We rehearse on Wednesday from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. For information about membership in the choir, contact Jonathan Trotter (jtrotter@stjjax.org).

SEEKING BAPTISM?

If you or someone you know is seeking Baptism, contact one of our clergy or Kathy Stephens: kstephens@stjjax.org.

2025 BAPTISMAL DATES:
July 27, St. James’ Sunday, 10 am service
Sunday, November 2, All Saints Sunday, 8:40 or 11:05 am services

LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS ON SUNDAYS!

Be sure to watch with the whole family!
St. James' will livestream the 10:00 am services on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stjjax.org. 
The Service Leaflet is available on the website and on the ‘This Sunday’ email.

SEND US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

If the church does not already have your email address, or if there have been any changes, please send it to Kathy Stephens at kstephens@stjjax.org.

FLOWERS ON THE ALTAR

If you are interested in giving flowers for a month either in thanksgiving or in loving memory of anyone, call Kathy Stephens at 601-982-4880 or
email her at kstephens@stjjax.org. The cost of this is $50 and the flowers are published in our 7:30 am service leaflets, in our Sunday announcements,
and on our website for the month. This is a perfect way to remember someone or to say thank you.

WATCH OUT FOR SCAMMERS!

Please be aware that scammers have gotten some of our work email addresses and are sending out emails that look like they come from St. James' staff. If you receive one of these please know that we would never reach out to you and ask you for money or for you to buy gift cards, etc. Usually you can tell from the extension on the email. All of St. James' staff have our first initial and last name followed by @stjjax.org. If you have any doubt at all please call our office at 601-982-4880.

MEMORIALS AT THE COLUMBARIA


Flowers and mementos left on the columbarium as memorials are a normal part of grieving and are allowed by the Church. Memorials may not be left at either of the inside columbaria. Only fresh flowers may be placed on the outside columbarium. St. James' will remove all flowers once they start to wilt. Mementos left on the outside columbarium will be removed daily. Due to the possibility of breakage and injury, glass of any sort is not allowed on the columbarium.